Page 33 - Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy Generating Electricity From The Sea

24 Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy

there is an Ocean Energy Forum, who have published a strategic roadmap for
the development of ocean energy in Europe [20]. The roadmap outlines a TRL
system that can be used to quantify the development of ocean energy devices
from the R&D stage through to industrial roll-out, noting that there is some
degree of overlap between the phases of development (Table 1.3). The Ocean
Energy Forum strategic roadmap presents a timeline for the industrial roll-out
of various ocean energy technologies (Fig. 1.16). Noticeable from the timeline
is that tidal range is already considered to be at the precommercial stage,
whereas tidal stream is at the demonstration stage, and wave energy at R&D
stage. In December 2016, tidal range power plants (i.e. tidal lagoons) received
a considerable boost in the form of the ‘Hendry Review’ [21]. This report
presented a very positive case for a 320-MW tidal range power plant in Swansea
Bay, UK, in the form of a tidal lagoon, and the scheme seems likely to proceed

TABLE 1.3 Phases of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) Within the Context
of Ocean Renewable Energy [20]
Development Phase TRL Indicators
Small-scale device validated in the lab
R&D 1–4 Component testing and validation
Small/medium-scale pilots
Representative single-scale devices with full-scale
components
Prototype 3–6 Deployed in relevant sea conditions
Ability to evidence energy generation
Series or small array of full-scale devices
Demonstration 5–7 Deployed in relevant sea conditions
Ability to evidence power generation to Grid
Medium-scale array of full-scale devices
experiencing interactions
Precommercial 6–8 Grid connected to a hub or substation (array)
Deployed in relevant/operational sea conditions
Full-scale commercial ocean energy power plant or
farms
Industrial roll-out 7–9 Deployed in operational real sea conditions
Mass production of off-the-shelf components and
devices